This invention relates to a disposable diaper for absorbing and containing body exudates.
Japanese Utility Model Application Disclosure Gazette (Kokai) No. Hei3-122824 discloses an absorbent garment comprising a stretchable topsheet, a stretchable backsheet and a water-absorbent panel disposed between these two sheets, wherein the topsheet and the panel are bonded to each other at a plurality of dots.
However, this known garment is disadvantageous in that the topsheet has its intrinsic stretchability remarkably lessened in the region where it is bonded to the panel and can offer its intrinsic stretchability only in its region extending outwards beyond a peripheral edge of the panel. Consequently, the stretchability of the topsheet which can be utilized during practical use of the garment will be no more than the stretchability offered by an extremely limited portion of the topsheet in spite of intentionally using both the topsheet and the backsheet which are entirely stretchable. Generally, stretchable sheets are relatively expensive and therefore a noticeable cost performance can not be expected when a stretchable sheet is used in the manner of the above-mentioned prior art.
In view of the problem as has been mentioned above, it is an object of the invention to provide a disposable diaper which includes a cover having elastic stretchability in a vertical direction of the diaper.
According to the invention, there is provided a disposable diaper basically comprising a briefs-shaped cover member having a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region extending between these two waist regions so as to form a waist-opening and a pair of leg-openings, and an absorbent element formed separately of the cover member. The absorbent element comprises a liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core disposed therebetween. The absorbent element extends longitudinally, i.e. vertically, on an inner side of the cover member from the crotch region into the front and rear waist regions.
The cover member is elastically stretchable in a vertical direction of the diaper. The absorbent element is not elastically stretchable at least in a vertical direction and is connected to an inner surface of the cover member in the proximity of the waist-opening in the front and rear waist regions by the suspender sheets which are not elastically stretchable at least in the vertical direction. The suspender sheets are respectively formed with pleats which extend circumferentially of the waist regions and can be flattened out in the vertical direction.